Riders of the Storm
by Brookebynature
Summary: "I should never have said I liked B26." She smiled a little, tucking a stray strand of wet hair behind her ear. "And I should never have followed you into that bathroom." Another storm in the town brings together Aria and Ezra outside of school for the first time since his return to Rosewood High. One-shot set after 4X02


Hi guys. This is my first PLL fic as the brilliance of Netflix has just alerted me to what a fantastic show this is. I can't believe I've been PLL-less for all of these years! Anyway, I'm hooked and hope to write many more fics. I'm a Haleb, Spoby and Ezria shipper and hoping you'll enjoy this. If you do, please leave a review at the end :)

Riders of the Storm

The air was heavy; filled with the buzzing of insects and the threat of a storm. Aria could feel her hair beginning to stick to the back of her neck and the strategic selection of a silk camisole earlier that afternoon was doing little to make her any cooler than a cotton shirt might have. It was already eight and still the unseasonable temperature hadn't receded.

The scent of coffee danced towards her as she neared Brew. Accompanied by the smell of baked pastries, it made her feel a little sick. Still, she'd had to get out of the house as all of the dark wood seemed to have absorbed the heat and no amount of open windows and ceiling fans could cool the furnace it had become. Her feet had carried her - and the copy of _East of Eden_ in her bag - to where she was currently standing.

At least there was air conditioning inside. She took a spot at the bench after ordering and begun to read.

"Miss, we're going to have to close." Aria jumped at the sudden voice and looked up. She hadn't noticed the complete blackness of the sky, or that the wind had picked up and was furiously rattling the metal signs hanging from the shops in the street. "News says the storm's getting closer. The highway's already closed."

"I-What time is it?" She asked, closing the book and placing it quickly into her bag.

"Nearly ten."

"Damn."

"You got a ride home? The weather's pretty brutal out there."

Aria looked out again. Leaves were rushing past as if late for a prior engagement. "I'll be fine."

The barista looked at her warily.

"It's really not far. I'll be careful."

It was as though someone had turned on a tap. There had been plenty of storms in Rosewood - this summer in particular - but the rain tonight seemed biblical. A camisole and shorts weren't going to do much good in protecting her. Her ears were flooded with the sounds of trees groaning in the wind; metal rattling and the pounding of rain against buildings and the road. Flip-flops were making walking even more difficult than the weather was.

Attempting to shield her eyes to see a little better, Aria dashed across the road. All of a sudden, a set of headlights were coming towards her violently fast, blinding her vision; the sound from the car's breaks was deafening.

She put her hand up to wave a 'sorry' and dashed across the road to the path at the other side. The car made its way along the road and stopped. Aria recognised the license plate. And the way the passenger door swung open without a trace of a hand.

Time seemed to stop. Even the rushing of the rain became silent. Neither her feet, nor her brain could make a decision. And then all of a sudden she was running towards the open door, the water bouncing off her hair.

It was quiet for a few moments as they sat there, car stationary in the middle of the storm, until Ezra spoke,

"What are you doing out in this weather?"

"I...I guess I just lost track of time."

Her legs were shaking and she couldn't be sure whether she was simply cold or nervous. He put his hand gently on her leg.

"You're freezing."

With a flick of a button, the whir of the air conditioning was replaced by warm air and gradually warming leather beneath her. Aria smiled, looking at him for the first time.

"Thanks."

They stayed like that for a while, just looking at each other until a huge bang clattered the car. A branch from a tree had struck the rear window.

"It's getting pretty dangerous out here." Ezra said. "I should get you home."

"What about you? If you drop me off, it'll add another twenty minutes to your journey - the storm might get worse."

He gave a small smile. "I wouldn't worry - I'll be fine."

Another branch struck the car and Aria's eyes widened. He put the car into drive.

"I would." She said quietly. "Worry I mean."

Ezra said nothing but was forced to swerve another fallen branch.

"Seriously Ezra, we should just wait out the worst of the storm at your place."

"You sure?"

Honestly, she wasn't. But her nod was more convincing than she'd imagined it might be.

"Here." He handed her a towel which she wrapped around her hair as he brought a second, pulling it around her as she shivered.

"It's hard to dress for this kind of weather." She said with a tight smile, indicating her soaked outfit. She hadn't been this nervous around him since they were first sneaking around at school; it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I'll make some coffee." Ezra told her.

"Thanks."

Aria hadn't been prepared for how disappointing it would be for his hands to leave her arms. Just then, the power went out.

"Guess we're not having coffee."

"I'll look for some candles."

He rooted around in the kitchen cabinets, struggling to make out anything in the darkness.

"Try the bottom drawer over there." Aria suggested.

He did, and to his surprise, found an unopened box of white candles. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "I guess I just remembered."

"Aria, I-"

"-Can I borrow a sweater?" She cut in. "I'm really cold."

Ezra busied himself in the living room while she peeled off her wet clothes in the bathroom. He wasn't tall compared to Caleb and Toby, but his sweater still swamped her. She fingered the cuffs, breathing in the scent caught between the fibres. It smelled like soap and coffee and bagels and comfort. It smelled like him.

"Thanks." She spoke into the room, closing the bathroom door behind her. Her voice seemed too loud.

"Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah." Aria sat down tentatively on the couch beside him. "Thanks."

"You said that."

She laughed a little but it seemed strained. Forced. "Sorry." She looked up from under a layer of smudged eyeliner.

Ezra sighed. "I should never have said I liked B26."

She smiled a little, tucking a stray strand of wet hair behind her ear. "And I should never have followed you into that bathroom."

"We did a lot of stupid stuff we should never have done."

"I know." She dipped her head. "I don't regret it."

Aria hadn't been aware of her proximity to Ezra until she could feel his breath against her lips when he spoke. "I don't regret it eith-."

Her lips were on his before he'd finished the word, hands stroking their way along the back of his neck. His were tangling in her hair, soft and thumbing circles at first until she shifted so that she was sitting on his lap, the grey sweater pooled around her waist. Then, his fingers grew impatient, pulling as his teeth tugged at her bottom lip and her hands made short work of unbuckling his belt.

They broke away, gasping for breath, as Aria's damp hair formed dark dots on his blue t-shirt. Her eyes flicked to the bed at the other side of the room and then back to his - she didn't have to speak.

"You sure?"

Aria nodded and Ezra stood up, taking her with him so that she was resting on the cotton sheet and he could remove his t-shirt. The sweater she was wearing went next, and she was momentarily chilly until he replaced its heat with that from his own chest.

Neither had noticed the power come back on until the radio crackled into life, making them jump. Ezra placed a kiss on Aria's forehead as he pulled on his shorts and got up to turn it off.

"I guess the storm's over."

"I guess so." He replied, blowing out the candles. "Do you still want that coffee?"

She glanced at the clock: 11:30. "It's late, I should really head home. My dad's probably getting worried."

"Oh."

She was surprised at how disappointed he looked.

"Thanks for tonight." She smiled. "It was...I'm glad there was a storm."

Ezra smiled back. "Me too."


End file.
